


Radios and Kittens.

by invisible_nerd_girl



Series: Random Sterek shorts [10]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Bonding over insults., Deputy Stiles Stilinski, M/M, Radio Host Stiles Stilinski
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:14:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28330719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/invisible_nerd_girl/pseuds/invisible_nerd_girl
Summary: It starts with a radio station quarrel and ends with abandoned kitten rescue.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Series: Random Sterek shorts [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1564270
Comments: 4
Kudos: 30





	Radios and Kittens.

It started innocently enough. It wasn’t even an accident on his part. He had a bad day and his sister had programed his car radio to an obscure station that could only be heard in Beacon Hills. It played an array of Fall Out Boy, Chemical Romance, Imagine Dragons, or bands like it. It drove him insane and no matter how many times, with multiple tries considering he wasn’t very good with his new radio just yet, he reset it, Cora always changed it back. It went on long enough that he actually didn’t mind some of the songs. It was oddly enough one called Car Radio that made him stop being fiddly, not wanting to sit in silence with his thoughts as he drove around. A band called Mother Mother was odd, but he liked it.

Then there were the hosts. The first one went by the name of Bob, which wasn’t very creative considering it was a code name. He didn’t know why they chose to have code names but apparently it was geeky enough to be endearing to most people. The other called himself the Fox, or Batman which made Bob tease him about being more of a Robin. They were young from the sound of their slang, which Cora used and had to explain some of it to him, even though he didn’t ask. Laura also listened to the station so she would pipe up about past arguments and how Bob had yet to see a single Star Wars movie. Derek was a secret nerd about Star Wars and that was the part that made him personally offended by Bob.

It wasn’t why he called, however, it did come up later. He felt bad about calling during the rush hour traffic, knowing he would sound horrific and awkward, but Cora slept late after her shift and it was the only time she wouldn’t be listening. It wasn’t her birthday or anything that important but she was accepted into the college she wanted to get into and he wanted to shout it to the world. Asking someone to play a song for her didn’t seem like a bad idea at the time and he didn’t actually have to shout at anyone. His heart almost stopped when he heard the click of the call being answered but his mind went traitorously blank. It was lucky he had a moment to talk and introduce themselves before letting him speak. 

“Yeah, I just called to request a song to be played around three for my little sister.” Derek started and Fox immediately cooed over him. A flash of annoyance washed over him but the other started speaking. 

“Well, how about you take a shot at that question before we get to the song.” There was the distinct sound of Bob smacking the Fox and he heaved a sigh. 

“I don’t even know what the question is?” He spoke a little too sweetly to be considered nice and there was a moment of silence. 

“Well, the question is asking if Bobby boy here is the weird one because he’s never seen Star Wars?” The fox spoke cheerily but there was an underlining tone that told him he wasn’t happy with him. 

“If the question is that he’s strange for not watching at least one of the movies, then yes. If it about him being the weird one between the two of you then the obvious answer is no. There is a difference between watching and enjoying a movie and being a dick about watching something someone hasn’t. Guess which one you are?” He couldn’t help himself. It was tiring sometimes to be a fan of something with dickheads making it hard to enjoy it. 

“Then answer me this, oh wise one, what makes him the normal one between us?” The fox asked with the same fake friendliness and he cocked his head the side at the challenge. 

“You say the strange things while Bob is mostly confused, speak so fast that people do not understand while using either unknown movie quotes or some from nothing but B movies from four dollar movie theater and knows the entire history of circumcision. I wonder why you were looking that up?” He heard Bob start giggling and he could hear an enraged breath in. 

“Am I right in assuming that you haven’t seen the movies either?” The Fox snipped and Derek rolled his eyes, heaving a massive sigh that they could hear just fine. 

“Then you’re even more of an incorrigible goat that sounds like you have a face for radio.” He growled low. There was enraged sputtering but then Bob managed to speak. 

“How about you tell us the song?” He asked kindly, followed by the fox muttering about Derek having a face. There wasn’t even an insult there. 

“Wait! I’m not done talking to this guy?” 

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I’d ask you to go pick up your brain cells but it’d be so impossible with what little you had left to drop.” Derek snapped out and hung up the phone. He sat in his car for a second, breathing deeply. It took a few minutes but then he was storming out of his car and up the front steps. He was too annoyed to calm down right now. He needed to run. Without his phone so he didn’t call back and… 

Derek let out a yelp as the front door slammed open and into him. He staggered to the side, holding his wrist that he had stretched forward to open the door and was struck by the doorknob. All thoughts vanished from his mind as he stared at his older sister blankly, all the insults he wanted to shout at her for hurting him but he couldn’t decide on one that wouldn’t actually hurt her. She was rubbing at her face where she ran into the door after he blocked it from opening enough for her to get out. 

“That was amazing.” Laura didn’t seem to notice his discomfort when she pulled her hand down, throwing her arms around him instead. “It’s the most I’ve been entertained in years. People are calling in already to ask about you.” 

“No” Derek pulled her arms off and spoke flatly. It was the same voice he used when Cora walked into his room and told him how much she loved him. That lead to him asking bluntly what she wanted from him. It made things easier. Lauras face fell but there was still the mischievous glint in her eyes telling him she wanted to make it a regular thing but he simply shook his head at her. She grinned evilly, nodding along and he sighed. He stepped around her, no longer planning a run now that he was distracted by his wrist. 

“That fucker” Derek held the icepack to his wrist before shaking his head. He had work to do and his day just got a lot more annoying now that his sister found something else to pester him about.  
=======================================================================  
“It sounds like you know very well on how to be a melodramatic shitlord” Derek pressed his lips together to keep himself from laughing at the second of silence on the line. Laura was bouncing in her seat, practically bawling as they waited for the moment. 

“You mother…” The Fox started before there was a long beep followed by several shorter beeps and then the womans voice was on. 

“And now we have some Fall Out Boy for you people who enjoy this damn ring around the rosie.” She spoke in an almost sickly sweet voice and he knew she was getting tired of butting in. She also put on an older, lesser known song and he hung up, snickering at the way his sisters were rolling on the floor. Part of him felt bad about the fact that he was teasing the man so much, that he was so good at getting under his skin, but the other part, the more secretive part, loved the way the man kept up with him. They traded insults with the sharpest wit. And somehow, he found that some would sting and fire him up so he stopped holding back. It wasn’t the nicest thing.

“Alright. That’s it. I’m not calling back again.” He pointed his finger at his sisters who were still on the floor and got to his feet. It was time to go back home. He left the old house and headed back to his apartment. As much as he loved his sisters, he also loved silence and space to read. He kept the station off as he drove home. The faint rain that started around noon was picking up and then he slowed, a little worried about his sight. 

The fork in the road made him pause. He slowed enough to yield but when he looked over he saw something move. His brained rushed with confusion and information before he shook his head. No logical creature would be out in this rain if they could avoid it. It was small and his brain kept repeating the movement he saw in his head as he tried to see what it was. After a minute of mulling it over, he decided it was going to stick with him if he didn’t find out what it was and popped his car door open. 

The rain soaked him in a second and he squinted as it pounded against his face. He pulled his leather jacket up, making a promise to himself to wipe it down nice when he got home and flicked the collar up as he ducked across the road. He crossed the other part of the fork to where there was a thing and he pulled his phone from his pocket and turned the light on, peering into the ditch. There was a box and he cocked his head to the side, reaching out carefully and tilted it toward him. 

“What the fuck?” Derek didn’t know if he was meant to be furious or disappointed as he saw that soaked kittens huddled together. Headlights shined behind him and he snatched the box to his chest without a second thought and looked into the watery ditch. Now he could hear their tiny cries over the pounding rain but it still took a second to find the one he spotted that managed to crawl from the box. It was a dirty brown color like the mud around it and he picked it up as gently as he could, tucking the trembling kit to his side as he stood.

He ran to his car, his feet slipping a few times on the mud but then he was fumbling with his door and setting the box in the passenger seat. His hands were already shaking from the chill of the rain but he tried to remain calm as he leaned forward more, popping the trunk open. He took Isaac and Erica to the beach the weekend before so he still had some towels in the back. One wasn’t even sandy and he grabbed it, slipping back to the passenger door. The rain was slanted just enough so he was able to slip into his seat and not have the rain going into his car. 

His mind narrowed down to that seat, scrubbing kitten after kitten, moving from each of the four every minute or so to see how they were doing. They all seemed pretty pissed to him, screeching in their tiny voices like they were discontented with his rough drying skills. He wasn’t as skilled as a mother cat. 

“Holy shit.” A voice spoke above him and he jerked back in shock, his knees coming up and his arms clamped around the bundles on them as he turned to the door. Derek blinked a few times, seeing the man was in a deputies uniform and was also soaked with a bashful smile on his face though the rest was in a shadow from the storm above them. The Camaros lights didn’t reach the rest of his face but Derek could see where the cheekbones were pushed up with the smile. 

“Sorry there. I drove past earlier and saw you crouched at the side of the road. I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t anything… illegal.” The man raised his hands in a calming manner and shook his head. “I turned around and saw you in your trunk. I called out a few times but you didn’t seem to hear me.” There was a breathlessness to his voice and Derek wondered briefly if he would be blushing if it wasn’t so cold but he shook it off, slowly unfolding himself and looking down at the kits. 

“I don’t know what to do for them.” He admitted and the deputy dropped to a crouch. Derek had to resist the urge to slap his hand away as he reached forward, running a finger along the back of one before picking it up. It gave a tiny squeak and Derek finally looked over at the man as he brought the kit closer to himself. There were wide brown eyes that were examining the kit carefully, his long fingers holding it like it was beyond precious and beauty marks dotting his skin that Derek could see. He almost froze as eyes met his own but then the man smiled at him. 

“I can take them off your hands if you want.” the Deputy spoke and Derek frowned, curling just slightly around the ones still on his lap. “Alright, alright. How about you follow me to the Sheriffs station? I have everything there that they need and I still have to go to work.” Derek hesitated, unsure if he wanted to risk being around the beauty with the chance that he’d fumble his words and end up embarrassing himself. It wasn’t the most ideal but he was also in the dark about kitten care so he nodded. 

“I know where the station is. I’ll meet you there.” Derek reached out and took the kit from the deputy, wrapping it up with its siblings and turned around, wiggling so they were on the seat and he was out of the car with as little jostling as possible. The rain felt like pelting ice but he shook it off, gently closing the door without taking his eyes off the bundle. 

“Alright, I’ll see you there.” The deputy shuffled his feet and Derek nodded, ducking his head as he jogged around his car. The man took off to a jeep and he realized he didn’t even get his name as he slid into the front seat, watching until the man was in his own vehicle. Then there was nothing else for him to do but to start to the station.  
===================================================================================  
“Hi, a deputy, uh, he didn’t tell me his name but he said to follow him here.” Derek spoke awkwardly to the woman at the desk, standing there soaking wet holding a beach towel that was squirming slightly. She gazed at him for a few seconds, taking everything in before pulling a face. She tilted back in her seat and shouted over her shoulder.

“God Damn it Stiles. You’re supposed to introduce yourself!” She shouted out and said Deputy skidded around a corner and ran up to him with panting breaths and a grinning face. Derek tried not to melt as he flashed a smile at the woman before waving him to follow. He went willingly after thanking her but she just shook her head at them. 

“Sorry about before, I stole my dads heating pad and have some blankets. It’s not the best but if we layer it some it’ll be fine with it on low. They should have some replacer milk but that’s also a pain in the ass.” The Deputy still didn’t say anything but Derek guessed his nickname was Stiles when he didn’t elaborate on it. He set his bundle on the counter next to the pile of blankets the man talked about, not letting him too close when he unfolded the kits. They were still cold but they gone terrifyingly silent and he picked one up, handing it to the Deputy to get it settled. It took less than a minute and they were mostly dry. He wanted to keep fussing but the Deputy smacked his hand away. 

“But…” Derek went to lift the light blanket that was pulled over the kits so they were completely covered and once again he was moved away. 

“Nah man. My buddies a vet and I’ve hung out there a lot. You got to let them heal. He’s on his way here right now with the replacer milk for them.” Stiles lead him over to a chair and he sat down, taking a breath for the first time since he saw the movement. He still took a second to tear his eyes from the bundle on the counter, a small barrier built up so they couldn’t fall out of their temporary nest. 

When he looked around, he realized he was in the stations breakroom and he suddenly felt out of place. There was a fridge on one side of the kits house and the counter stretched out along the other to the far wall with a coffee maker. He was seated at a table with a few chairs and there was a second table with even more chairs. He shot a look at the Deputy and saw him look away quickly. He wondered briefly if he was making things awkward but shook it off. He was here to take care of the kits, not get embarrassed by cute deputies that came to the rescue. 

“I…” The deputy started but a voice shouted out the strange nickname and his face paled just slightly. Derek pressed his lips together as the Sheriff walked in and crossed his arms as he stared at the man. “Hey dad.” 

“Hello Sheriff.” Derek spoke up before the older man could open his mouth and got to his feet. “Stiles was just helping me with some kittens I found in the storm.” He walked over to check on them even though he was told not to. He peeked in, feeling the Sheriff sidle next to him and look at the four little kittens. They were still shivering slightly but one lifted it’s head and blinked up at him and he quickly tucked the blanket back around them. 

“Oh, well…” The Sheriff turned away with a defeated sigh and Derek turned back so he could lean against the counter. Stiles shot a grateful look at him and he winked back, trying not to blush as they both turned their attention anywhere but each other. He took a second to watch the Sheriff as he paced back and forth before nodding. 

“You said you saw them?” He asked and Derek nodded. 

“It was raining pretty hard up there and it was at the fork in the road so I stopped completely. I saw the movement out the window and it looked too much like life that I had to check it out. When I got over to them, it took me a moment to see them in the dark and then I just wanted to get them dried off. I took them back to my car and pulled the beach towel from the trunk. I didn’t even know Stiles was there until he cussed by the door.” Derek gave a deeper explanation and the Sheriff just nodded. 

“Did he trip?” He asked and Derek pressed his lips together as said deputy let out a groan. 

“No, I saw the kittens.” Stiles shook his head and frowned at the floor. Derek felt some of his embarrassment ease and he smiled at the blanket bunch. 

“Alright, I want to see if we can find the owners of these kittens so they can be prosecuted for animal abuse.” The sheriff turned away and grumbled under his breath. “And sheriff abuse.”

“Dad!” Stiles hissed and the sheriff just left, grumbling under his breath about animal abuse. Derek smiled, liking the man and went to sit back down. He still wanted to check on the kits but the person Stiles called should be there soon. 

“I’m going to go call Scott to see if he’s here yet.” Stiles jumped to his feet and fled out the door before he was complete seated but he still smiled after him. 

“Thanks.” He called after him and heard him trip and fall against the wall. Delight washed over him and he let out a chuckle. Relief swamped him as he looked at the bundle but then he started pacing. He made three loops around the breakroom before Stiles was back with another young man who was carrying what looked like a diaper bag with a pink elephant on the side. Several thoughts ran through his mind at once but it was only years of not speaking kept him from saying anything, especially about how crooked his jaw appeared to be from certain angles, making Derek want to ask. 

“Are the kittens warmed up yet?” The man he assumed was Scott walked to the bundle and dug one out. It was the runt from before and the kit stared the man down before yowling indignantly. Its tiny paws swiped at the air but Scott let out a sigh, making Derek stare at him in shock.

“They’re not old enough to be weaned from their mother, but they’re still old enough that we can reverse this.” The man grinned and Derek let out a sigh, finally picking up a kit and examining it. It was a girl, a pale calico that reminded him of an early sunset just before the sky was filled with the bright colors but instead had a peachy orange with soft grey splotches and bright white spots. She hung onto his hand and started wailing loudly between noisy sniffs. 

“You have kitten food?” He asked Scott who just nodded. The man quickly went to pull stuff from his back, including a pouch of kitten food. 

“It’s not the best, but since they’re so hungry right now, we might get a few to switch over early” Scott dumped it out on a plate that Stiles handed him, placing it on the counter. He set the kitten down next to it and took a drop of it, swiping it over her lips. Derek watched as the kitten licked at her lips before sniffing at the food. It took less than a second for her to bury her face into it. He mimicked the action with his own kitten and Stiles did the third. Scott took the last one, looking him over before setting him down to eat. Two didn’t catch on as fast as the first but then hunger got the better of them and they were eating fast. 

“They barely have teeth.” Derek shook his head in shock but Scott just shrugged. 

“Cats are…. Well, these ones are easy. They might try to go feral with their food.” Scott chuckled low when he petted one, a tiny snarl filling the room before it went back to gnawing on a particularly large piece. 

“See, just fine. They’ll need a warm place to stay now that they’re dry and fed. In the morning they should get some more food and watch to make sure they’re doing usual kitten stuff.” Scott blocked the first one from walking off the end of the counter, lifting her up and wiping her face clean. Derek took her from him, cradling her in his arms as he looked her over, shifting his body to block the others from falling if they wondered. 

“Thanks Scott.” Stiles stepped forward again, taking the offered food pouches from him. Derek looked up to see a meaningful look between the two of them before Scott nodded and moved out. 

“Thank you.” Derek called after him, seeing him lift a hand to show he heard. 

“Let me know what happens.” He grabbed his bag and was gone. 

“I swear he gets that from Deaton.” Stiles grumbled, going back to what he was doing with the kittens. Now that Derek was calmer, he realized he recognized the deputies voice from somewhere. He bit his lip and stared at the man, not knowing if he was meant to laugh or hide the fact that he knew who he was. Stiles didn’t seem to notice but then he glanced up at him and he couldn’t stop himself. 

“You’re the Fox, aren’t you?” He watched in amazement as Stiles nearly fumbled the kitten, the tiny creature suddenly clinging to his fingers with razor claws and he managed to pull it to his chest as his entire face turned a blotchy red. 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Stiles mumbled and Derek smirked. 

“Well, I did tell you that you didn’t have many brain cells.” He set his kitten into the warm bed they made and picked up another that just finished his dinner, cleaning his face and placing him next to his sister. It took a few seconds for Stiles to process what he said and he waved his free hand around, his mouth opening and closing as he spun around. 

“No, you. NO! But you’re perfect and …. No!” Stiles rubbed his hand over his face before covering his mouth like he couldn’t believe he just said that. Derek cleaned up the last kitten and put him with the others. He walked over to Stiles like he wasn’t having fish jump through hoops in his stomach and took his kitten from him, carefully taking the time to pull the claws off his bloody fingers. 

“How about I apologize over dinner?” He almost felt his heart stop, not aware that he was about to say that. It was usually too daunting and he could almost hear the Foxs voice coming through the radio telling the world what a loser he is and how he just wanted a date. He looked down at the little kitten, drawing some strength from the knowledge that he saved her and glanced up through his eye lashes to see a gob smacked Stiles gaping at him. It almost made him smile, the sides of his lips twitching up but he couldn’t help but feel hopeful. 

“Yeah, yeah, Of course.” Stiles finally babbled out and he smiled, reaching out and taking his bloody hand. The Deputy melted as Derek pulled him to the sink to clean his hand, turning on the water as he rubbed the tiny claw marks clean. They were trying to scab up already but Stiles pressed shamelessly against his side as he cleaned. 

“Oh good, one of you asked the other. I’m done. Don’t bring those kittens home.” The Sheriffs voice sounded and they both spun around, blushing uncontrollably to see he had stuck his head into the room. “Bye son.” 

“Bye,” Stiles muttered as a few chuckles filled the station and Derek ducked his head down, shuffling his feet so he could grab a paper towel to dry his hand off. It was difficult but he slowly released the kitten, the creature clinging to his jacket so he quickly dried off. 

“Anyway, sorry about all the insults. I honestly don’t usually do that but you somehow got under my skin and it was fun.” He put the kitten back as he spoke, watching as the little ones curl up around each other with one struggling to figure out how to clean itself. Derek didn’t think they had a mama cat to teach them how to be a cat. Stiles heaved a sigh, grabbing a few paper towels to dry his hand and fix the counter where the kits had their dinner.

“It’s alright. It was fun to go head to head with someone. Scott doesn’t keep up. He’s Bob, real original, I know.” Stiles tossed everything away with a roll of his eyes and Derek found himself chuckling. 

“Still, half the time I didn’t even dial the phone. My sisters just handed it to me and you were on the other end.” He rubbed the back of his head and leaned against the counter. 

“And the other half of the time?” Stiles practically purred out, stepping so they were chest to chest and Derek ducked his head down with a bashful smile on his face. 

“I may have called myself.” He admitted, licking his lips but Stiles chuckled low. 

“Thank God I’m not the only one. I asked Lydia to give me your number so I could call you for a date but she refused. She thought it was a cover so I could go and kick your ass.“ The Deputy gushed again and Derek relaxed. He already opened up, at least with insults, to this man and they were both very much attracted to each other. He opened his mouth to say something but a tiny mew broke his concentration. 

“How about you help me get these kittens settled into my house and then I make you dinner?” Derek turned around and grabbed the box they were in, making sure to pull out the heating pad so the Sheriff could find it later. He had one at home for Cora and Laura when they were having their bad weeks. 

“Yeah, absolutely.” Stiles seemed to be struggling with making his voice louder than a whisper but Derek knew how to fix that.

“Good, because we all know my insults were better so I have more to apologize for” He stepped out of the room, smiling over his shoulder as Stiles let out an indignant shout.

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me what you think. Though this is a short I don't want to expand on but might have potential if I knew more about how radio works. (I can only make insults when angry so I apologize that they're sucky)


End file.
